By Dr. Rebekah McCloud

My Dad was a car man; he loved to drive. Most Sundays after church and dinner, we’d leave the city and go for a ride in the country. The drive always included a stop for ice cream and a “Co-Cola.” Like clockwork, each Saturday my Dad would prepare the car. He’d wash it, vacuum it, check the oil and fluids and gas it up.

Dad always made sure to check the engine light. If an icon was illuminated on the dashboard, that indicated a problem and under the hood he’d go. Sometimes the repair would be a quick fix, other times it would take hours. Regardless, Dad would work until the job was done. He knew the engine was the most important part of a vehicle.

I submit to you that our heart is the most important part of our being. Our heart is like an engine; it keeps us pressing toward the mark. Proverbs 4:23 tells us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”  Grace, we must be mindful to keep a close eye on our heart and check our engine light.

Sometimes our dashboards are in disrepair. Our engine light appears dull and we see it through a glass, darkly. Sometimes our vision is clouded by anger, past hurts, shame, lack, envy, pride, so on and so forth. The dullness makes it hard for us to see our way to becoming the good and faithful stewards God has ordained us to be.

But in order to see things clearly, in order to see the Master face to face, we have to ask as David did in Psalm 51:10. After he had done something wrong, he wrote “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” The Bible tells us that man sees the outward appearance, but God sees our heart. Amen. Grace, check your engine light.

Sometimes the engine light is constantly on; we see it and we should have checked it. But, nothing bad happened the first day, the second day, or the third week. So, we let it go and a small thing became a big one.

Our lives are filled with all kinds of trials, temptations and tribulations: our spouse is cutting the natural fool, our kids are off the chain, our job is making us feel some kind of way, things are tough, tight and not alright, our money is funny. It’s easy to get trapped in the tumble of it all. Although we know the Lord is our ever-present help, often times we allow Him to get lost in the mix and we no longer hear his still, small voice. If we can’t hear God, we cannot become the stewards he wants us to be. Jeremiah 29:13 reminds us, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Grace, check your engine light.

Sometimes the engine light come on without warning and we hear a sound, a rumble or a rattle, or we see smoke. Sometimes it’s in the dead of night on a dark and lonely road. Sometimes it’s during rush hour on a busy highway. Regardless, it’s unsettling. Some of us get scared and pull over. Some of us ride until we can’t ride any more. Some of us call AAA, or Uber, or a family member or friend. Some of us call on the Lord. 

Remember, we are God’s beloved and even in the desperate times, the scary times, or the uncertain times, the Lord is with us. Amen!

Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Proverbs 27:19 says, “as water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” As stewards of God’s time, talent, money and resources, it’s time for us to do as my Dad did and prepare for our Sunday drive. Grace, check your engine light.

Finally, a few weeks ago, Pastor said something profound that resonated with my spirit. I pray that it did with you. He told us that, “we are praying for things we have not prepared for.” Grace, I read that the “task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us.” We must be like Solomon and ask for wisdom and knowledge; everything else will be added to us. In fact, because Solomon had not asked God for riches and wealth and honor, God gave him more than he had given any king before him or would give any king that followed him.

Grace, we are heirs of King Solomon and more importantly, heirs of King Jesus. We must, we can, we will prepare for those things for which we have been praying. Amen.